citb HSE Plan Unannounced Inspection Visits To Sites

byKevin

Spot Checks Planned By citb Health and Safety Executive

A new national initiative will look at construction sites in a bid to reduce ill health, injuries and death on construction sites.
The HSE (citb Health & safety executive) are spending a month visiting UK construction sites where refurbishment and repair work is being carried out. They hope to improve the standards of what is one of the UK’s most hazardous industries.
They want to ensure that higher risk activities such as working at heights are being managed properly. Whilst on site they will be checking that the site is in good order generally and also to ensure that suitable head protection and PPE is being correctly utilised. General Welfare facilities will also be assessed.

During the course of 2011-2012, There were 49 workers killed while working on construction sites and 2,884 reports of major injuries were received. This initiatives main purpose is to remind everyone who is working within the construction industry that low standards will not be tolerated and may well lead to enforcement being actioned.

The Chief Inspector of Construction at the citb HSE, Philip White, said:

Death and injury continue to derive from avoidable incidents and its largely those engaged in repair and refurbishment work who happen to be failing to step up to the mark.

Poor management of risks and a lack of awareness of responsibilities is unacceptable. In a lot of cases simple changes to working practices can make all the difference, and can even save lives. Therefore whenever we find evidence that workers are now being unnecessarily put at risk we will take strong action.

We are determined to drive the message home that site safety and worker welfare might not be compromised.